Born in Vancouver, Ben lost his mother to cancer at the age of six. Meanwhile, his father was denied full custody on grounds of alcohol abuse and died of cancer when Ben was 13 years old. At age 17, Ben joined the Canadian Forces where he went on to serve in Afghanistan at the age of 21 and became a section commander at age 23. A student of political science, he graduated from the University of Victoria in 2013. Ben has traveled to over 20 countries around the world, including backpacking trips through Norway, Russia and France. His home base is in Vancouver Island, BC, where he was proud to purchase a home when he was 21 after he returned from Afghanistan. He is currently studying at Carleton University in Ottawa, ON.